HAPPY TUESDAY!
We’ve been learning over the last few weeks, how important it is to live in a praise state of mind, with a heart full of thanksgiving. When we live in such a way, it frees us up from the murmuring, complaining, double-mindedness, and blatant sin. I challenge you, for one week [if you don’t do this already], before you get up out of bed drop to your knees in prayer. Thank God for the gift of another day, as well as for all of the blessings you’ll receive. Then surround yourself with positive music, friends, have positive thoughts, and even try reading your bible. I was just making a note to myself, that if I can find an extra hour in the day to go to work out my body, I can match that time in working out my Spiritual muscles as well. I was listening to Dr. Stanley this morning and he said, “We need to stop making God the dessert and make Him the main course”. That was one of those “ah ha” moments for me, because I never thought of it that way. Just as we tithe our income, we have to tithe our time—give God our first fruits, and He’ll bring blessings tenfold upon the rest. Today’s black history quote is, “Living a life is like constructing a building: if you start wrong, you'll end wrong.” ~ Maya Angelou. Enjoy the remainder of your day, and be blessed family!
Today’s scriptures are about recognizing and understanding our sinful nature. You’ll find in the Word of God that the thing most important to Him is our love. However, we can’t truly love Him with all of our heart, until we experience the spirit of humility. The word humility is defined “the quality of being modest or respectful”, which is definitely not a bad thing. In God’s eyes when we learn to live with humility, we’re better open to His love. One of the things He hates most is pride, which is the absolute opposite of humility. Pride is one of the reasons why so many Christians go unfulfilled, and stray away from God. If you ask the average Christian if they loved God, their answer would be “Yes I love God with all my heart”, but they’ll turn right around and live like the rest of the world.
Jesus gave up His life because of our sinful nature, so He understands our selfishness and pride. This is the main reason why He’s always waiting for us to humble ourselves and repent. We can’t be redeemed until we ask for redemption. Why do you think the All-knowing, All-powerful God requires us to confess, ask, seek, and knock, and He’s omniscient? He requires this so that we can experience humility, which will in turn help us properly receive. When have faith in Him, and love Him with everything we have, we’ll reap abundantly.
God knows that it’s not one human being on this earth without sin. Since the resurrection of Jesus Christ, sin is no longer the issue in our life, but it’s the failure to repent that’s the issue. It’s not enough to confess our sins and ask for forgiveness, but we must go to God with a sincere heart, with all intentions on not committing that sin again (notice I said “intention”). God knows our heart, and so He knows if we’re genuinely remorseful for sinning against Him, or if we’re just going through the motions. Remember, it’s not about the sin itself, but about humility, repentance, and loving Him with all of our heart (it always comes back to this).
Nobody is perfect, so instead of pointing out the flaws of other people, it’s up to us to look in the mirror. None of us are above the strength that Christ gives us, which is given equally and freely to every believer. God has a will for each of us, and He gives us the tools to complete His will, but it’s up to us to find out how to use them. I somewhat feel like Paul, when he spoke to about the thorn in his flesh. He said: …Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor. 12:7-10)
There’s a test around every corner, and when we grow in our Spirit, the tests become more evident. There are so many things that I look back on now, and think wow I was being tested and I failed miserably, but now I’m able to hear the Holy Spirit’s warnings [most of the time], so I follow His guidance to overcome temptation. The only way I received this breakthrough is that I’m constantly acknowledging my weaknesses, yet claiming the strength of Jesus Christ. As soon I pass judgment on others, or think that I’m too “holy” to make such frivolous mistakes, the Holy Spirit has ways to reminds me that I am only human, and to never say never
If you’ve been shying away from accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, because you somehow think you’re lifestyle is too “worldly”, or that you’re too sinful to be a Christian, I pray that you understand that it’s not just you, but it’s all of us. This is the way that we’re created, and Jesus offers us freedom from the bondage of sin. A
Life without Christ may be fine on surface, but try a life with Him. All God requires is for you to humble yourself and confess your sins, ask for forgiveness, and ask Jesus to be Lord of your life. He doesn’t require you to stop your old habits, or try to change who you are before you do this, because you’re incapable of doing it on your own. He’ll take you just as you are—flaws and all. Join the club, I’m as flawed as the next man, it may not be as many or the same types, but I’m flawed nonetheless. However, I know the promises of God, and He promised to love me no matter what, and when I confessed Jesus as my Lord of my life, He begun a good work in me, and it won’t be complete it until I reach Heaven. He’ll do the same for you! Take a few moments to take the God Quiz right now, and be free! My favorite verses today are: To will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. (Romans 7:18-19)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455608&dtype=Scripture
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I love you!
